A busy life, but what can you expect with four children!!!Enjoying the sun, loving the rain when it comes and so happy to be receiving visitors in Austin.
They had such fun...I am sure they did. the hero's of the day managed to carry the platscape into the final resting place..no mean feat this WAS heavy..they could only carry it for about 10 paces and then put it down, had to do some serious manoeuvrings through the gate and then through the trees..
So we held a house warming and you were all invited, and Aunt Fran did come all the way from cold snowy UK to be with us...had to remind her lots and lots this is our winter as well..but we did have some warm days as well, went over 70f, and the lack of wind and sunny skies I think helped make it a fun and enjoy able visit.
I hope you have all had a wonderful Christmas and are getting ready to see the New Year in, who knows what it will bring for us all, but I hope it is a positive and joyous year for you all.
We had a wonderful Christmas, very enjoyable with a good mixture of noise, excitement, hot tub, family talk, family movies and just enjoying our own presents and peace and quiet. we were lucky enough to have two great friends for Christmas who helped make it special and add to the dynamics of the day...well 40 hours they spent with us...they are now in rehab I think....The Cochrane clan is a full on experience for sure...good times, good memories and such a great Christmas. The new house is such a delight, we love it, and have settled in well, I will take more pictures now I am up and running again, Allan now has many days off to tackle a wide range of 'new house jobbies'..is he not a lucky chap.
I will try and upload photo's for you in the next few days..so you can see our new home.
the move has gone well and we seem to all be enjoying the new house and really quiet relaxed considering all the moving and hunting for things..because life has to go on..homework, washing of clothes...everyone seems really happy.
we are now going in to Thanksgiving holiday, starting today when teh boys get in from school..I am hosting it this year...seems to me to be food, alcohol, friends, with extra dollops of food and alcohol..the only things we will be missing(or not missing!) is the American football which seems to be also a tradition of the holiday.
Christmas is now everywhere, Thanks giving weekend is the start of most people to put up there Christmas tree, although gardens are already being decorated and illuminated big time, it will just increase from now on..once again will try and post some photos for you.
So once again Halloween has come around..we know it has been coming as the shops, banks, schools, houses, stores have all been decorated since the start of October..it is still a surprise to me how many people decorate up for Halloween...next year i will be more organised with our new home..but this year they were lucky i remembered to put out pumpkins and stickers in the window and my flag...they all went up on the 31st...very poor I know.
now they are decorating for thanksgiving...I am far too far behind!!!!
As you can see Allan dressed up again, and took teh children around the neighbour hood, He went with some friends, Will, Steve and Matt with there children so it was a large noisy group that went out..you should see the candy that came back.
Victoria and I stayed at home and welcomed the trick or treaters to our door, we sat in the door way with it open, I tried to remember to take photo's but it actually depends how quickly they come...once again an excellent turn out..
This is Alex with his bag of candy...absolutely obscene really..but as you can see the kids all thought this was great..
the weather was great for them again, they all came back so happy I ended up offering to let loads of kids sleep over, so in the morning my house had 10 people in it..i might have to confess the two adults had drunk slightly more than is good to deal with that many kids...but waffles did the trick...and before you know it, they are gone and although we had a waffle syrup panick, but our wonderful neighbours came to our rescue..and all children ate and ate and ate...waffles are a good one to make as my waffle maker does 6 at a time..and my mixer did a huge batch...we worked as a team that morning..hangover aside.
i have taken a sample of pictures for you to see what turns up at my door..and all ages for sure...it was a fun night...enjoy
so we did the whole cake and candle thing in the evening as well..he had such a nice day..even school went well in his eyes, which was great news for us..
This was at 0630 on a school day, so time was not on our side, but we managed to get his presents opened and send him off to school with a full tummy of pancakes...i had agreed on Saturday I would cook him bacon and eggs and he could eat in bed...the requests of a seven year old..as you can see he is very excited..i think the whole trip and much fewer presents was great, we had time and he was not over whelmed. Other people had co-ordinated with his present so he ended up with 5 games to play...a very thrilled little boy.
we put the normal sweets out and I had iced a load of cookies to take in to his class with all thier names on..once more a request of a seven year old..very demanding these seven year olds..lets hope he improves!!!!!
The water was so warm, it was gorgeous..it was the first time for us to play and swim in the gulf of mexico..and we loved it. the sand was very soft, we were on Pardre island..the top of it, also called Mustang island. we got there by driving over a series of islands with roads, and then a short ferry ride, which was fun..we spent a few hours on the beach and had a lot of fun. we literally drove onto the beach and parked, got out and played..jack had an infected toe, so he did not go in the sea, but we did, i did not put my costume on..but should have ..i was soaked by the end and had to change for the journey home.
the boys are now desperate to go back and enjoy the coast a lot more..we will look into that, it was a lot of fun..
Alex and Ben in one of the mini theaters watching about the 'Blue ghost"
Allan!
Jack, Alex and Ben from where we had lunch after the morning on board.
We spent about 5 hours on the USS Lexington, which was what Ben had asked to do for his birthday...we did all the decks, saw so much more and they rode the simulator with Allan..Jack and I sat out that experience.
We went into the ships store..where they managed to spend some money..no surprises there really.
the ship is not fixed, it is bedded, they dug out a channel and dragged the Lex in and then piled more sand around, then they put water into her lower compartments to steady her. they say she will happily with stand a hurricane....
Alex and Ben matching down the flight deck..they were totally engrossed in their conversation it was really nice..they did not notice us, just kept walking and talking...all the way to the far end..
Ben climbing on the guns..he has some growing to do!!
The bridge over the shipping channel from the flight deck of the Lex.
we are getting good at going around ships now, the boys love too, but this was the first time it was so easy..they are now old enough to go up and down the ladders themselves and can enjoy all the areas themselves..
i am conscious when i do the blog that i am trying to give you up to date pictures of us, show the places we have visited and not bore you..never sure if the mixture of people to places is good enough, but as this was Ben's birthday trip..it will be heavy on the boys...
they tried out every single exhibit they could climb into, climb on to or ride in....every single one....
this is for me, because I am a huge NCIS fan and they are frequently at the Norfolk Navy yard....
They had such fun...I am sure they did. the hero's of the day managed to carry the platscape into the final resting place..no mean feat this WAS heavy..they could only carry it for about 10 paces and then put it down, had to do some serious manoeuvrings through the gate and then through the trees..
So once again Halloween has come around..we know it has been coming as the shops, banks, schools, houses, stores have all been decorated since the start of October..it is still a surprise to me how many people decorate up for Halloween...next year i will be more organised with our new home..but this year they were lucky i remembered to put out pumpkins and stickers in the window and my flag...they all went up on the 31st...very poor I know.
so we did the whole cake and candle thing in the evening as well..he had such a nice day..even school went well in his eyes, which was great news for us..
This was at 0630 on a school day, so time was not on our side, but we managed to get his presents opened and send him off to school with a full tummy of pancakes...i had agreed on Saturday I would cook him bacon and eggs and he could eat in bed...the requests of a seven year old..as you can see he is very excited..i think the whole trip and much fewer presents was great, we had time and he was not over whelmed. Other people had co-ordinated with his present so he ended up with 5 games to play...a very thrilled little boy.
we put the normal sweets out and I had iced a load of cookies to take in to his class with all thier names on..once more a request of a seven year old..very demanding these seven year olds..lets hope he improves!!!!!
The water was so warm, it was gorgeous..it was the first time for us to play and swim in the gulf of mexico..and we loved it. the sand was very soft, we were on Pardre island..the top of it, also called Mustang island. we got there by driving over a series of islands with roads, and then a short ferry ride, which was fun..we spent a few hours on the beach and had a lot of fun. we literally drove onto the beach and parked, got out and played..jack had an infected toe, so he did not go in the sea, but we did, i did not put my costume on..but should have ..i was soaked by the end and had to change for the journey home.
the boys are now desperate to go back and enjoy the coast a lot more..we will look into that, it was a lot of fun..
ben still trying to master the Guns..
on the bridge...
we are getting good at going around ships now, the boys love too, but this was the first time it was so easy..they are now old enough to go up and down the ladders themselves and can enjoy all the areas themselves..
